Twilight's Call
by fallenangel375
Summary: Ever wonder what could've happened after Midna shattered the Mirror of Twilight? Read to find out :
1. Chapter 1

**Book 1**

**Twilight's Call: Vague Destiny**

**Chapter 1**

Link stared in disbelief at the large, black boulder that stood ominously in front of him, trying his best to take in what had just happened. It just wasn't quite sinking in. He stood there awkwardly, lost for words... paralyzed. It seemed as if time stood still, as if the earth suddenly froze. Zelda stood quietly behind Link, staring solemnly at the orange sand that now sparkled with small fragments of shattered glass in the evening sun. Link slowly bent down and picked up one of the small shards of glass. He stared at it with an empty expression in his eyes, a somber aura about him. The eerie silence loomed as darkness slowly fell over the vast desert. It was Zelda's soft and saddened voice that broke the silence.

"I'm sorry..." she murmered quietly. Link didn't move, didn't make a sound. The sun was slowly falling behind the horizon.

"We'd best be getting back," Zelda prodded, knowing the desert was difficult to navigate at night. Still no response from Link.

Zelda hesitated, "...You loved her, didn't you...?" At this, Link slowly turned to face Zelda, his eyes filled with sorrow, broken... his lips trembling. "I never got the chance to tell her," he whispered, his voice shaky. His limbs felt weak, and he wanted to cry out to the dim horizon. Zelda's expression fell, and she couldn't help feeling helpless, for she knew that there was nothing she could say to make this right. Link's eyes moved towards the ever-darkening sky, and with a heavy, broken voice, he mumbled, "I'm going home."

He slipped the small piece of mirror into his pocket and headed down the broad stone corridor that led out of the mirror chamber. He leapt the small wrought-iron fence and began making his way through the soft orange sand back towards Lake Hylia. Every step felt heavy, burdened. He was relieved when he finally made it to the cliffside bordering the massive lake. He leapt off the edge and let the wind take him.

He remembered how he so loved diving into the lake in his earlier days. It used to give him a feeling of power, a sense of freedom. But what once brought him great joy and bliss now brought him nothing. Emptiness. He felt useless now, as if he no longer served a purpose anymore. The kingdom of Hyrule no longer needed him to come to its rescue, so what good was he now? _Nothing matters anymore, _he thought in his burning pain and bitter sorrow.

He felt a tad of relief, however, when he finally hit the cool water below. The sudden chill allowed him to gather his thoughts a bit. Link made his way to land and took the canon back up to Hyrule field. He summoned Epona and rode across the vast hills of Hyrule field off into the night, back towards his small home in the small village of Ordon.

It had been a long time since Link had returned to his village. How would everyone react? Link didn't care. The emptiness inside of him was all he felt, eating away at his mind, his soul, his heart... Never in his life had he ever felt such sadness, such despair. Not until it finally dawned upon him that he would never see the woman he loved ever again. The thought stabbed him like a hot knife.

He choked back the pain and carried on across the large rope bridge into the small woods just outside of his village. He dismounted Epona and climbed the small outside his house.

By this time, the night had fully consumed Hyrule, and the darkness delivered an awkward, empty presence. Link stepped inside his house and took a deep breath of the stale, musty air. He lit a small fire, and laid out a pillow and a woolen blanked in front of the fireplace. He laid there for a long time, wrapped in the blanket, watching the burning embers crackle and pop until his exhaustion finally got the best of him.

He slowly succumbed to the dancing shadows and homy presence around him, and slowly dozed off...


	2. Chapter 2

**Twilight's Call: Vague Destiny**

**Chapter 2**

Midna awoke to a light rapping on her door. She let out a sigh and rubbed the sleep out of here eyes. "Come in!" she called. The large stone door slowly creaked open and a small, high-pitched voice sounded from the hallway.

"Your Highness?" "What?" Midna called grouchily. If anything, it was sleep she needed right now. The voice hesitated, "the welcoming ceremony will begin in thirty minutes... it would be best if you were to be ready." Midna slouched back down under her silken sheets. _A welcoming ceremony? _she thought with disdain followed by a groan.

She then realized that the small man was standing awkwardly at the doorway. "S-sure, ok, I'll be ready," Midna replied in the most enthusiastic tone she could muster. At that, the small man bowed humbly and scuttled out of the chamber at a hurried pace, slamming the door behind him.

Midna winced.

The sound gave here a headache. "Must there be a ceremony?" she mumbled in a frustrated tone as she rolled out of bed. She shuffled across the room, half-asleep, to gather her cloak and headdress out of her wardrobe. She quickly changed out of the short silk gown she'd worn to bed and clumsily fastened her waistgown and cloak.

She spent quite a while trying to put up her hair and somehow incorporate the headdress into the look.

She was growing immensely frustrated.

_I haven't had to do this in such a long time that I've forgotten how! _Midna thought. Finally, her frustration getting the best of her, Midna called out into the cahmber hallway. "Leous??"

The guard standing in the hallway quickly came to attention at the sound of his name. "Yes, Your Highness?" "Leous, I am in need of great assistance. Could you find me a hairdresser? I am in dire need of one."

"Yes Princess," Leous replied as he made his way down the corridor. "One more thing!" Midna called after him, "Make it fast! The ceremony will begin soon!" At this, Leous nodded and bolted down the winding corridor on his way to the palace exit.

Midna plopped down on her bed and gazed distantly out the window into the unending twilight. "Link...I..."

She stopped herself.

"It's done now," she whispered quietly, sadness slowly consuming her. A knock on the door brought Midna back to reality. "Come in!" Midna called. At this, the door opened and an elegant twili woman stepped into the room. Her long, glossy, black hair flowed beautifully down her back. Her facial features were similar to Midna's, though her eyes had less of a slant about them, and they were much wider. She wore a waistgown that came down to her knees, and was embroidered with silver designs. Her smile was modest, yet captivating, and could cast a spell upon any man she desired.

"I'm Elena," the beautiful woman started, "I understand you're in need of a hairdresser?" Midna rose from her seat. "Yes, actually I do," Midna began, "My hair is quite a mess this morning, and the welcoming ceremony begins soon, and–" "Say no more," Elena interrupted, "I can have you hair looking perfect in no time!" she exclaimed with an enthusiastic grin. With that, Elena sat Midna down and set to work on her hairstyle.

***

"You look perfect!" Elena exclaimed with a satisfied grin. There was a firm knock on the door and a gruff voice sounded from the other side. "The ceremony is about to begin, Your Highness."

"We're ready!" Midna called back, "tell the head adviser I'll be down in a moment."

"Yes Princess," the voice replied.

Elena turned to face Midna. "Well," Elena said in a confident tone, "you're ready." Midna smiled and thanked her. Elena made her way to the door. "Aren't you coming, princess?" she asked.

"I'll be down in a moment," Midna replied, "A few moments of mental preparation is all," she added, answering the inquisitive look on Elena's face. Elena nodded, bowed, and left the chamber.

Midna practice faking a smile in front of her mirror. It then occurred to her that she would have to mask her true feelings for the rest of her life... But she had people to lead and a kingdom to rule. She had to do what must be done for the well-being of her people.

She then prepared herself for the thousands of twili that would be standing in the crowd, welcoming her as their new leader...

***

"You're nearly late, my dear. What kept you?" asked an older twili male standing near the entrance to the palace. He approached Midna and held out his hand. "Allow me to introduce myself," the man cleared his throat, "I am Malore, head advisor of the council... And you mentor, should you ever need one." The man smiled, "Pleasure to have you back."

"Pleasure to be back," Midna smiled, and firmly shook the man's hand.

"Are you ready?" Malore asked.

"Yes," Midna replied with a confident tone. As she stepped to the entryway, two guards accompanied her on either side.

As the grand doors to the palace opened, Midna took a deep breath and let the guards escort her down the long walkway flowing from the palace. At the sight of Midna, the crowd roared and cheered and a shower of beautiful flower petals cascaded from the edges of the walkway and rained softly down onto Midna. She smiled and waved, though she knew she had done nothing to deserve such gratitude from these people. Malore and the council followed directly behind Midna and the guards with proud faces.

When they finally reached ground level, they all moved into an orderly semi-circle formation with Midna in the center. When the cheering had finally died down, Malore cleared his throat and spoke loudly to the croud.

"My dear friends and family, people of the twilight," he began, "I present to you our new leader, Princess Midna!" On this, the crowd rejoiced and cheered wildly. Finally, when the crowd died down again, Malore nudged Midna softly on the arm. "Well?" he prodded, "Are you going to begin your speech?"

Midna could feel the color drain from her face. "S-speech...?"

"Well of course!" Malore whispered back, "We didn't set up this whole ceremony for nothing!"

Midna wanted to run away in that very instant, but knew she couldn't let her people down, not again. Afraid to admit she wasn't prepared with a speech to give, Midna replied, "O-ok... Here it goes..."

She then turned to the thousands of eager, expectant eyes all focused on her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Twilight's Call: Vague Destiny**

**Chapter 3**

It had been a rather unproductive day for Link. He'd had a fitful sleep the night before, dozing off just to find himself waking suddenly from an awful nightmare, small droplets of sweat beaded on his forehead.

He'd spent most of the day trying to get a decent amount of rest, but he would always be awakened by dreams... dreams of–her.

Link wouldn't permit himself to say her name out loud, for it brought even greater sorrow upon him. He tried his best not to think about her, but the memories were rather uncontrollable. finally, Link decided to go into the village and do something, anything, to take his mind off of her.

It was already late afternoon, and Link had to squint when he opened his front door and let the afternoon sun shine into his dimly lit home. He dropped down from the ledge and mounted Epona.

As he trotted casually into the village, he recieved a hero's welcome from all the townsfolk. He tried his best to smile and acknowledge every "_We missed you Link!" _and _"Welcome home!" _that was thrown at him.

Suddenly, Ilia ran up to Link and embraced him, wearing the brightest smile he'd ever seen.

"Link!" Ilia began, "You came home!" she exclaimed, her eyes shining, her tone ginger and sincere. Link smiled, he had to admit, he was happy to see Ilia again. After all, they had grown up together, and Ilia had always been one of Link's dearest companions since childhood. He hugged her back. "It's good to be home," he smiled.

This was the first morsel of happiness Link had felt in quite a while. He tried his best to savor of it what he could. Just then, Colin ran up to the both of them with a joyous expression on his face.

"Link! You're back!" he exclaimed merrily. "Now will you teach me how to ride a horse? You promised! Remember?" Link smiled. He must admit, it did make him feel a little better to be home.

"Eh, now's not the best time, Colin... maybe another day?"

A look of disappointment crossed Colin's face. "Ok..." he replied with a bit less enthusiasm. His disappointment was short-lived, however, as he ran off to play with the other children.

Gradually, the welcoming crowd digressed, and the townsfolk returned to their daily tasks. Soon, it was only Link and Ilia standing on the small dirt path near the entrance of the village.

"Shall we take a walk?" Ilia asked, smiling.

Link was a bit reluctant to accept the offer. Not because he didn't want to spend time with Ilia, but because he was still feeling down, and didn't think Ilia was the best person to pour his heart out to at the moment.

"You know, Ilia? I'm actually really exhausted from the journey here, and you wouldn't mind if I got some rest instead, would you?"

Ilia's face fell a bit. "No, it's alright. I understand. Maybe tomorrow," she replied. She turned and headed back to her house by the ranch. The sun was setting, and Link turned back and headed for his own house, his heart sinking, for what little joy had entered his day was now fading.

He sulked down to the spring and sat in the sand, letting his feet dip softly in the water. He gazed up at the dim sky, reflecting upon his great adventures with Midna. He succumbed to the memories and let his saddness take over, his despair envelope him, until he finally wept. Eventually his weeping developed into sobbing and he lost control. He struck the water with his palm in anger and rage, and he cried out in self-pity to the stars now sparkling overhead. He rested his forehead on his knees and slowly regained control over himself once more.

_How can I live like this? _he thought in despair, _How can I live without her?_


	4. Chapter 4

**Twilight's Call: Vague Destiny**

**Chapter 4**

Midna plopped onto her bed and buried her face in her palm. _I'll be lucky if I get any respect around her anymore, _she thought. The speech had gone terribly, for Midna had had a lack of things to say half the time, and was stuttering stupidly the other half. _I'm back, _she thought, annoyed, _what more is there to say? _What's worse, there had been a formal celebration dinner afterwards, of which Midna had to sit awkwardly at the head of the table, around which the rest of the council sat, throwing her nervous glances time and again.

She had been relieved to dismiss dinner a bit early. Midna went and changed into her nightgown and drew her curtains. It was rather late now, and Midna lit a fire in her large fireplace and wrapped herself in her black silk sheets. Her eyelids grew heavy, and she was slowly enveloped in the soft, dim atmosphere of the large room...

***

_It was bright, very bright. Midna had to squint and shade her eyes to see clearly. She was standing in a vast, grassy meadow that stretched as far as the eye could see. It was speckled with small patches of soft white flowers here and there._

_Midna took a good look around as her eyes adjusted to the light. She saw a figure in clad green standing with its back to Midna in the distance._

_Not knowing what else to do, Midna began walking towards the figure. As she got closer, she gradually began to recognize this mysterious person. The green tunic, the matching hat, the worn boots and shaggy golden hair. "Link!" Midna cried, her feet carrying her faster and faster. Link turned slowly, a solemn, empty expression on his face._

_Midna skidded to a stop, his rigid expression alarming her. "...Link? Are you alright...?" _

_Link stiffened, keeping his solemn composure. "They never forget," he replied. _

_Midna stumbled backwards a few steps. This voice was not Link's. It was deep, eerie, possessive... it frightened her. "Link... W-what..." she stuttered. It then occurred to Midna that they were standing very close to the edge of a cliff. Link slowly turned away from her and walked forward, stopping where his toes just barely touched the edge. _

_Midna watched, wide-eyed, unable to move, to make a sound. Then, he jumped. _

"_NOOOO!!" Midna screamed, her voice cracking. _

_She rushed to the edge and looked over. Her stomach lurched at the sight of his bloodied, mangled body lying limp on the jagged rocks below. She clutched her stomach and covered her mouth with her hand, hot tears streaming down her cheeks. _

_She then heard whispers. Thousands of them. Though they were merely whispers, they pierced her ears like shrill screams. "We never forget, we never forget," they chanted. They got louder and louder. _

"_No. NO. __**NO!!**__" Midna pressed her palms to the sides of her head, her hands clenching into fists. "MAKE IT STOP!!"_

***

Midna jolted awake, panting, sweat covering her forehead and the back of her neck. She was shaking uncontrollably, and her eyes were wide, pupils dilated. She clenched her silk sheets in her fists. Malore, Elena, Leous, and a few other members of the council that Midna did not recognize were all standing around her, startled and worried looks on their faces.

"P-princess... Are you alright?" Malore asked, "Is there anything I can get you?"

"W-water," Midna stammered, lips trembling.

"I'll get it!" Leous replied immediately, and rushed out of the chamber. Elena soaked a cloth in warm water and pressed it gently against Midna's forehead.

"Thank you," Midna replied feebly. "We would have knocked before entering your private chamber," Malore began, "but your screaming alarmed us–we feared you were in danger." Midna had finally managed to keep her breathing under control and immediately felt better when Leous returned with a glass full of ice cold water. Her shaking had nearly stopped completely and she continuously took small sips of water to help clear her head.

"I think I'm fine now," Midna addressed the small crowd all watching her intently, "Thank you for your assistance." One by one, each of them bowed and left the room. Malore called to Midna from the doorway, "Please don't hesitate to holler if you need anything." Midna could still hear a tint of alarm in his tone.

Midna nodded.

Malore bowed and softly shut the door behind him. Midna placed the glass of water on her bedside table and sulked under her covers.

"Living without him is going to be _a lot _more difficult than I thought," she whispered miserably to herself.


	5. Chapter 5

**Twilight's Call: Vague Destiny**

**Chapter 5**

The weeks had been passing slowly and painfully for Link. He'd hardly left his village, let alone his house. He'd tried different things to pass the time: fishing, boating, horse rides, he even dropped by Telma's bar a few times. But nothing could ever pass the time long enough to make it through the day. Somehow, _everything _managed to remind him of Midna. He didn't even bother to refrain from saying her name anymore, for it was no use.

It had been nearly a month since Midna had left, and Link wasn't getting any better. In fact, his anguish only grew worse. He wasn't even himself anymore, and people were beginning to notice. Every once in a while, Ilia would come knock on Link's door and ask him if e wanted to go on a walk. He would come up with excuses like, "I'm not feeling well," or "Princess Zelda requested my presence at the castle today."

His grief always filled him with a sense of loneliness, and he finally realized just how small he was.

Despite his mourning and painful memories, however, Link decided to exercise Epona for a while. He rode through the small forest and out into Hyrule field. He could tell Epona loved riding out in the field, the wind in her face, her mane rippling in the breeze. If only something as simple as this could bring Link such happiness. He let out a heavy sigh. Would he ever feel true happiness again?

Just then, Link heard a shout from behind him. He pulled Epona to a halt to find the mailman running up to him, panting. When he'd finally managed to catch his breath, the mailman handed Link a letter secured with the imperial seal. Link reached down and took the letter from his hand.

"Thank you," Link nodded. The mailman bowed. "Pleasure," the man smiled, and ran off towards castle town.

Link opened the letter. Link was surprised to see a cordial invitation to a celebratory feast at Hyrule Castle. The invitation read:

_Link--_

_I do hope you can come and join me and the rest of the high court for a celebratory dinner this evening. I know it's a bit late, but it's been rather busy the past month, what with renovations to the castle and such. I do hope you'll understand. I also need to have an important conversation with you, so please stop by as soon as possible. If it's not too much to ask, that is._

_Signed, _

_Princess Zelda_

Link refolded the letter and stuffed it in his pocked. At lease it would give him something to do. He kicked Epona firmly on the haunches and headed back home to straighten himself out for his appearance at the castle.

***

Link trotted up to the castle. He was wearing nothing as fancy as he might've hoped, but it would do. He dismounted and strode casually towards the grande doors to the castle, ignoring all the envious glares of the people of castle town who would not be attending the dinner that night.

He walked up the small stone steps at the entrance of the castle. A guard generously held the door open for Link. Link smiled and bowed, then stepped into the glorious ballroom.

The diamond chandeliers overhead sent marvelous glittering reflections onto the polished tile floor below. There were tons of small, round tables scattered throughout the room, seating four or five people each. Each table was garnished with a lovely white silk tablecloth and a candle in the center. There was a large buffet table in the center of the room, filled end to end with silver platters and plates containing delicious Hylian delicacies.

Link thought he heard his name in the bustle of the chatter. He looked around to see Zelda in an elegant silver ball gown, waving a gloved hand in his direction. He proceeded to the table where she was sitting. She was accompanied by another man and another woman of whom Link did not recognize.

"Link," Zelda began, "I'd like to introduce you to Arias and his fiance Sarina."

"Pleasure to meet you," Link smiled to both of them.

"Arias is my most trusted guard," Zelda explained, "and Sarina is an old childhood friend of mine," she smiled.

The four of them carried out casual conversation throughout dinner until finally, the celebration was beginning to come to an end. Sarina turned to Zelda and thanked her.

"It's been a wonderful evening, but we really must be going," Sarina smiled, "It was nice meeting you, Link."

"Pleasure meeting you as well," Link smiled in return.

Eventually, Link and Zelda were the only ones sitting in the eerily quiet ballroom. Zelda turned to Link, her face very solemnly composed; high contrast to how it had been just minutes ago.

"I need to speak with you," she said quietly, "this way."

She led him up the stairwell to her bedchamber just down the hall. She shut the door noiselessly behind them and sat on a wooden chair in front of the fire. She beckoned Link to come join her in the chair beside hers. Link sat and faced Zelda, waiting for her to begin. Zelda bit her lower lip nervously and chose her words carefully.

"Link," she spoke softly, "I believe I know now why Midna did what she did."

Link stared at her with hollow eyes.

"In shattering the mirror, she did what she thought was best for both worlds," she continued, "...and for you."

"Zelda," Link whispered desperately, "there has to be a way, some way, to bring her back." Zelda hesitated.

" there is little to no chance that you will be able to restore the mirror's original magic," she replied. Link looked down at the floor. She could tell that he was already aware of this.

"Link, I know this may be difficult for you to hear, and even more difficult for you to do, but..." she hesitated, "I do think it would be best if you...moved on." She bit her lip and looked nervously at the floor.

Link looked up at Zelda, his face burning. "Move on?" he asked, anger flickering in his eyes, "Easier said then done," he spat.

Zelda looked up and met his eyes, cautiously choosing her words. "Look at what you've become," she replied in a heavy, controlled voice, "you're merely a shadow of your former self. Sure it will take some time, but–" "You don't understand," Link interrupted, "I can't _live_ without her," he replied, voice raised in frustration.

Zelda rose from her seat, no longer able to mask her own frustration. "I'm only trying to to what's best for you!" She hissed, her eyes burning angrily.

Link stood, meeting her glare. "You've not the slightest idea what's in my best interest!" He growled, fury brewing inside of him. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'd best be getting home."

Link stormed down the winding hallway. He slammed the castle door angrily behind him, and carried on down to where he'd left Epona. He left castle town in a hurry, and was relieved to get away form all of the people. He rode off back towards his village, determined to find a way to see Midna again.

"There's always a way," he muttered to himself, "there's always a way..."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Short chapter, I know… but don't worry, something interesting is coming up after this chapter, I promise! :D**

**Twilight's Call: Vague Destiny**

**Chapter 6**

Midna stood proudly on the edge of the twilight, gazing out at all of the construction that had been done over the past month. Midna had convinced the council to allow her to put together a working class of determined twili to help rebuild houses that had been damaged or destroyed during the raids of the shadow creatures, and the progress was coming along quite faster than Midna had expected. Not only that, but the workers also aided in the expansion of the town around the palace. Midna's eyes flickered in amusement as she sensed something revolutionary coming on. She felt a light tap on her shoulder. She turned to see Malore smiling.

"Council meeting tonight," he flashed Midna a toothy grin.

Midna smiled, "I'll be there."

Malore bowed and hurried off towards the palace.

_What could've gotten him so excited? _she wondered. She turned and headed back towards the palace to prepare for the meeting.

She returned to her bedchamber and grabbed a quill and a few sheets of paper. She then proceeded down the hallway into the conference chamber where she took her usual seat at the head of the table. Malore took his seat at the other end, while the rest of the council filed in and took their seats. As soon as everyone was settled, Malore cleared his throat.

"Princess Midna," he spoke so that everyone could hear, "the council and I have unanimously decided that we like what you've been doing around the palace. Thanks to you, this town is twice as large as it was to begin with, and more twili are being provided with sufficient shelter. You have definitely proven yourself as and adequate leader." Malore smiled, "So we've decided that your new title, should you choose to accept it, will be Queen Midna."

Midna's eyes lit up immediately. "I'm humbled," she thanked the council graciously. This was the first bit of true happiness she'd felt in a long time.

***

Midna tossed and turned restlessly in her bed. Unable to find a comfortable position, she sat up and slowly placed her feet on the cool tile floor of the bedchamber. She grabbed her silk robe off of the hook on the wall beside her bed and slid her arms into the sleeves, tying the satin ribbon firmly around her waist.

She quietly slid open the glass door that led out onto a small stone balcony that projected from the north wall of the palace. She set her hands on the railing and gazed distantly out at the twilight.

"They never forget," she whispered, remembering the strange dream she'd had a while back. The dream that had left her shaken and rather bemused. She'd still not deciphered the meaning behind those strange words.

The dream still remained painfully vivid, the disturbing image of Link's mutilated body etched into Midna's mind. She shook her head. "Oh, what I would do just to have him back again, just to know that he's safe," she whispered longingly. Midna's eyes scanned the voluminous expanse of twilight before her, and she let out a burdened sigh. "If only there were some way," she spoke softly to herself, "some way he could hear me, I would tell him--" she hesitated, "I would tell him I love him."


	7. Chapter 7

**Twilight's Call: Vague Destiny**

**Chapter 7**

**A/N: Sorry for all the mistakes lately, I've been trying to work harder on that…**

Link paced impatiently back and forth, creating short rows of footprints in the sand beside the spring. "There's no one in this entire kingdom that can possibly even master the simplest of magic," he mumbled to himself irritably, shaking his head. "There's no way I'll be able to restructure the mirror without magic," he grumbled.

Finally giving up on that approach, Link plopped down in the sand and tossed small pebbles aimlessly into the water, feeling rather discouraged. He then heard footsteps in the sand behind him. He turned to see Ilia approaching. She smiled.

"It's been a while since I've seen you around here," she said conversationally, "especially this early."

"Yeah, I guess," Link replied absent-mindedly, continuing to toss pebbles into the sparkling water.

"What's wrong?" Ilia asked, catching Link's despondent persona.

"Oh, it's nothing, really," he replied dejectedly. Ilia's eyebrows clicked into a frown.

"You honestly expect me to believe that?" she asked.

"Just don't worry about it, I'm fine," Link insisted, not wanting to carry this conversation any farther.

"Link, we've been best friends since childhood, you know you can talk to me about anything," she prodded in a sympathetic tone.

"Can you just forget about it? It doesn't concern you anyways!" Link snapped.

Ilia hesitated. "I was only trying to help," she replied in a hurt tone of voice.

Link pressed his palm to his forehead. "Look, Ilia I'm sorry, I just… can't…" Link trailed off. He stared intently at a fairy that floated by a nearby patch of flowers. "I-Ilia, there's somewhere I have to go," he replied quickly, an urgent edge to his voice, "it's important."

"O-ok…?" she responded, confused by Link's sudden change in attitude.

Link stood abruptly and rushed over to Epona. He quickly mounted his trusty mare and galloped off towards Hyrule field, not once looking back, for he knew exactly where he had to go…

***

Link flung his sword left and right, narrowly dodging lethal blows time and again from the two mighty knights. He quickly backed away and prepared to perform a mortal draw. He drew back his sword, focusing hard on his striking point. He spun with great agility, leaped into the air, and brought his sword down with all his might, only to have the knight roll nimbly out of the way as Link's sword whizzed by his head and landed in the dirt with a thud. Link cursed his own foolishness, for he hadn't struck quick enough.

"Ha! Feebleminded boy!" the knight laughed mockingly, "You've not the skill to defeat me!"

The other knight approached Link from behind, sword raised. Link quickly veered around with a great spin and slashed a large wound in the knight's lower abdomen. He dropped his sword and clutched the huge gash, blood spewing onto the dirt floor.

Link turned and faced the other knight, rage burning in his eyes. The knight growled in fury, raising his sword in challenge. Link stood poised, focus enfolding him. They shuffled in a circle, feet moving in sync, waiting for the other to strike. Link suddenly jumped into the air performing a helm splitter, his sword striking the knight's helmet with cunning precision, sending up a small cloud of dust as it crashed into the dirt.

The knight immediately turned and charged at Link. Link barely had time to react as he swiftly reared his sword in defense, the collision of the two weapons making a loud clash that echoed throughout the cave. Links jaw clenched tightly as he pushed with all the strength he could.

He forced the knight back a few steps. Finally, the knight's strength gave way, and he stumbled backwards a few feet, looking rather disoriented.

Acting quickly, Link thrust his sword through the knight's stomach, blood gushing heavily onto the dirt. Link pulled out his sword as the knight fell to his knees, his eyes glazing over as he took his final breath.

Link stood panting, his eyes scanning the massacre that lay before him, deciding that he never again wanted to return to the cave of ordeals.

Finally, the stone door that led to the next level of the cave opened, and Link breathed a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat off of his forehead with the back of his hand.

He proceeded to the final level of the massive underground cave, where the Great Fairy sat in her pool of glistening tears. Link approached her.

"O great hero," she addressed him, "your great abilities and remarkable courage have carried you safely here. You are worthy of my power." She stood, "What is it that you ask of me?"

***

Midna looked up immediately from the council report she had been writing, startled by the sudden banging on her chamber door.

"What is it?" she called, rather annoyed. Malore's frightened voice sounded from the other side.

"Your Highness," he called anxiously, "We're under attack!"

Midna rose from her seat abruptly and rushed over to the door. She yanked it open to see Malore staring at her, wide-eyed.

"What? By who?!" she demanded.

"I-I don't know!" Malore cried, shaking nervously.

Midna grabbed his shoulders and looked him straight in the eyes. "Malore, what did you see?"

His deep green eyes reflected both panic and confusion. He paused for a moment. "There was a black cloud, and these creatures, they—they attacked! People are running for cover," Malore spewed the memories as if this were the last time he would be able to speak. "These creatures," he continued, "they kill without mercy, without cease," he fell to his knees, "Oh the bloodshed!" he cried, his voice cracking as he remembered the horrible sight.

Midna was now unable to mask her own panic. She bolted down the corridor towards the exit, not waiting to hear any more. She had almost reached the exit where she heard someone speak to her.

"Remember me?"

Midna stopped dead. She couldn't move. She felt her whole body run cold as a shiver ran down her spine. _That voice, _she thought, eyes widening. That was a voice Midna could never forget, a voice that had been engraved into her memory, haunting her for the past month. Midna turned slowly, afraid of who or what she might see.

A brawny twili male stepped out of the shadows. His fiery orange hair appearing a bit unkempt, swooping over to one side of his face. His bright blue eyes shone mischievously, and he was grinning from ear to ear. He had a rigidly structured face, framed by his broad, masculine shoulders.

Midna's lips trembled. She didn't know if she should speak or run.

Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed Midna by her neck, effortlessly pulling her close to him, so that she could feel his breath on her lips. His eyes flickered with the intense lust for dominance. Midna clawed and struggled, trying to think of a spell she could use to escape, though she could not think fast enough. He lifted her by her neck and threw her forcefully against the wall. She crashed to the floor, a bit stunned by the pain. He stood over her victoriously. She glowered at him with disdain. He chuckled deviously, flashed her an impish grin, and responded, "We never forget."


	8. Chapter 8

**Twilight's Call: Vague Destiny**

**Chapter 8**

"This spell has never been attempted before," the Great Fairy warned Link, "This may not end well."

"Do whatever it takes," Link told her firmly.

The Great Fairy stepped up onto the podium, facing the large, black boulder. She closed her eyes, focusing on becoming one with her soul, for it is said that is the only way a spell may be performed properly.

Link watched intently, hope gleaming in his eyes. The moon was now directly overhead, sending a soft, dim light into the Mirror Chamber.

The fairy raised her face up towards the sky so that her soft, pale skin shimmered in the moonlight. Eyes remaining closed, she began chanting a spell in ancient Hylian. Link could not identify her words at first, for they were merely whispers. Gradually, her chanting got louder and louder.

Slowly, Link noticed that the sand around the podium began to sparkle. He then realized that the shards of mirror were glowing. Each fragment became luminescent as the spell grew stronger. Link then remembered the piece of mirror he'd slipped into his pocket the day Midna had left. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the glass shard to find that it, too, was glowing.

The fairy raised her arms to the sky, nearly shouting the chant now. Link stared in awe as all the small fragments of glass rose from the sand and hovered in midair, surrounding the Great Fairy. The mirror fragment link held rose from his hand in sync with the others.

As the spell grew even stronger, the pieces began to swirl around her like a massive swarm of fireflies. They began to pick up wind as they swirled faster and faster.

Link clutched his hat as the wind grew fierce and the shards flew at the speed of light. Suddenly, the fragments were all pulled to the center of the mirror frame by the powerful magic force. In the moment all the glass shards merged as one, there was a great flash of blinding light that swept over the entire kingdom of Hyrule, the Mirror Chamber its epicenter. In that one moment, the night was illuminated for just a split second.

Link didn't even have time to shield his eyes, for the flash was so sudden. He stumbled backwards, throwing his arms up in front of his face to block out the bright light.

The Great Fairy gently let her arms fall to her sides. Link slowly looked up at the

podium.

The newly restructured mirror immediately began to glow. The frame tilted back and the mirror cast its ancient rays of light upon the large boulder before it. Link watched hopefully as the portal between realms once again reopened.

The Great Fairy gently stepped down from the podium, her eyes casting a relieved look upon Link. "My work here is done," she bowed, her majestic wings bending gracefully.

"Thank you," Link replied graciously, bowing in return. When he looked up, however, she had vanished. He looked around, a bit befuddled.

Not thinking much of her sudden disappearance, he rushed onto the podium and up the small, transparent steps to the portal entrance. He waited for the familiar dissolving sensation that would take him to the woman he had been longing to see for far too long…

***

Midna's bruised and battered body laid nearly motionless on the ground as the fused shadows all crashed to the floor. Midna had tried everything in her power to ail this brutal man, but nothing she tried even seemed to affect him in the least. He merely deflected every lightning bolt, every spell-driven projectile she shot at him with ease. This was obviously a spell Midna was not familiar with.

She lifted her head with what little strength she had left, glaring at this mysterious man. He smirked and held his arm out to his side, palm up. In a flurry of shadow flecks, he had conjured up a sword engraved with ancient twili characters. The light overhead glinted off of the polished hematite blade. He rose the sword high above his head.

"Any last words, O Twilight Princess?"

***

Link stood on the edge of the twilight, immediately alarmed by the bloody massacre set before him. Straight away, Link had the impending sense that Midna was in danger. His eyes quickly scanned the raging battlefield for any signs of Midna.

He rushed through the chaos, dodging hits from the assailing creatures that greatly reminded Link of Zant's minions. He charged towards the palace entrance to find Midna before it was too late.

***

Midna laid hopelessly on the floor, about to be slaughtered by this man who now held a sword intimidatingly above her.

Though Midna was not one to plead for mercy, she felt there might not be any other way.

As he rose his sword and prepared to do away with her, the palace doors burst open.

"Don't you _dare _touch her!" a furious voice called from the entrance.

_Could it be? _Midna thought, hanging on to the last bit of hope she could.

The man threatening Midna turned in surprise, but it was too late. Link spun and slashed a large gouge in the man's lower back. He howled in pain, dropping his sword and veering around angrily.

Midna watched in horror as the sword fell blade-first into her side. The sword crashed to the ground, the open wound creating a pool of blood on floor around Midna. She screamed in agony, her shrill cry piercing the palace walls. She clutched her wound, blood pouring out of the gash.

"Midna!!" Link cried.

The man quickly reached down and grabbed his sword, challenging Link.

Link turned and charged at the man, rage burning furiously in his eyes. The man jumped into the air, performing a front flip, and landed nimbly behind Link, waiting for him to charge again.

Link swiftly rebounded off the wall, turning in midair to face the man, sword raised. They fought relentlessly, each an equal match for the other.

Midna lay on the floor, writhing in agony, gasping for air. Slowly, her vision began to blur, the room began to fade. The constant clanking of swords grew faint as Midna became weaker.

"Link…" she croaked, feebly extending her arm towards his fading image. She slowly let her arm fall to the floor once more as her eyes began to close.

Link was losing strength. He tried his hardest to fight, but his effort was growing weaker. Suddenly, the man swung his sword with all his might, knocking Link's sword to the ground with a crash. He grabbed Link by his collar, pulling him closer and raising him off the ground. He raised his sword high, preparing to strike. In what Link thought were his final moments, the man paused, holding his sword pointed threateningly towards Link's head.

"You're lucky I don't slay you now, feeble light dweller," the man hissed, dropping Link to the floor.

"Well why don't you?" Link spat.

"My time here is done," he replied as he slowly began to dissolve into black shadow flecks.

"Who are you?!" Link demanded furiously.

"My name," he replied, grinning, "is Taro." And with that, he was gone.

Link then immediately rushed over to Midna's bloodied body, and began shaking her shoulder firmly. "Midna??" he cried, panicked. Midna's eyelids fluttered weakly.

"Link…" she uttered, her words slurring a bit, "you… you came back," she whispered with her last bit of strength as she slowly began to slip into darkness…


	9. Chapter 9

**Twilight's Call: Vague Destiny**

**Chapter 9**

Midna let out a slight moan as the blurred image of Link's face slowly came into view.

"Midna…?" Link whispered quietly, squeezing her hand softly.

She blinked a few times, taking in her surroundings. She was lying in her bed, her head propped up by numerous pillows. She looked at Link who was watching her intently by her bedside. "You're really here," she smiled, several happy tears rolling down her cheeks. He smiled and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yeah, I guess I am," he replied, smiling.

Midna began to sit up when she let out a small yelp. The sharp pain in her side drove her to lay back down again. She pulled the covers down to her waist. Her fingers gingerly traced the countless number of bandages wrapped around her side.

Just then, Malore rushed into the room, carrying a glass of water. As soon as he saw Link, he smashed the glass on the floor. Midna's eyes widened in shock at Malore's sudden burst of rage.

"You!" Malore barked, pointing angrily at Link, "I thought I told you to leave the palace at once!" he shouted furiously, "You're the one who nearly got our beloved queen killed in the first place!"

"Stop!" Midna shouted at once. Malore silenced himself immediately, keeping a wary eye on Link. "There's _obviously _a huge misunderstanding here," she glared at Malore, "For I do believe that it is because of Link that I am still alive." She crossed her arms, tapping her fingers irritably. Malore looked down at the floor, shuffling his fingers nervously. "Now clean up this mess you've made, and pleaseget me a fresh glass," she ordered.

He bowed silently, scowling at Link as he shut the door behind him.

Midna turned to Link, who had been watching from her bedside the entire time. "I wonder what that was all about?" she mused.

"I'm not one of your people," Link replied, "according to him I don't belong here."

"Pfft. That's all he's upset about?" Midna laughed, "He'll get over it."

Link smiled, "Glad to see you're back to your old self."

Midna giggled, "So I am."

Link had missed that giggle. It brought back memories of their adventures together.

Malore entered the room then, carrying a new glass of water. He bowed, handing the cup to Midna, who then placed it on the bedside table. "Thank you," Midna responded, eyeing Malore warily. "You're dismissed."

He narrowed his eyes at Link, and left the chamber.

Midna patted the mattress beside her, beckoning for Link to join her. He slowly laid down next to her. "How did you get here?" Midna asked, the thought suddenly striking her.

"It's complicated," Link replied with a slight chuckle.

"We have plenty of time," Midna prodded, resting her head on Link's shoulder.

He smiled and began to tell her of his heroic journey to the twilight realm.

***

Zelda sat at her desk, mapping out the complex architecture of the soon-to-be expansion of Castle Town. Immensely absorbed in her work, she hardly noticed the faint spirit floating beside her. "What are you doing here?" she asked. The Sage of Light slowly came into sight, its mask glowing a dim golden light.

"I carry grave news, Your Highness," the sage stared solemnly at her, hovering by her desk. "It seems the Mirror of Twilight has been restructured."

Zelda immediately rose from her seat. "What? How?"

"We're not quite sure," the sage replied, "it was rather sudden… All we know now is that this task was achieved by a great powerful force," he continued, "Most likely magic."

Zelda hesitated. _I'll bet Link had something to do with this, _she thought, rather irritated.

"And we fear that the Hero of Twilight may be in the twilight realm as we speak."

"_Fool," _Zelda muttered under her breath.

"I've yet more grim tidings to convey," the sage spoke in a solemn monotone. "It seems that in restructuring the mirror, a very dark force has been allowed entry into this realm," the sage gulped, looking down at the floor once more.

Zelda paused, "Well if twilight once again covers this world, what will-"

"Not twilight," the Sage of Fire spoke now, appearing on Zelda's left.

"No, much, _much _darker," the Sage of Forest spoke as well, appearing next to the Sage of Fire.

"This force," spoke the Sage of Water, now appearing in front of Zelda, "it is _pure _evil, _Pure _darkness. Much unlike the twilight."

"It spreads like a virus," said the Sage of Shadow, coming into view behind Zelda.

"Consuming everything it touches," said the Sage of Solarism, emerging from the shadows to join the other sages.

"Is there any way at all to fight it off?" Zelda asked, biting her lower lip uneasily.

"Well it's not exactly the darkness itself that has entered this world… yet," the Sage of Light spoke once more, "It's the creatures from the blackness," the sage explained. "You see, there is, in the twilight realm, an area of total darkness. This area is called the Valley of Shadows. In an effort to protect the twilight dwellers, the Gods of Twilight sealed away this evil place, and kept the key hidden somewhere where evil could never find it. Supposedly there are sinister creatures that live in the Valley of Shadows. Creatures called twilight messengers. These creatures were created by a dark lord many centuries ago, when both light and shadow were in complete havoc. The twilight messengers much resemble shadow creatures, however much faster, stronger, and more agile. If we're correct, someone had to have found the key to the Valley of Shadows, and sent the twilight messengers on this murderous rampage, for there is no other way this could've occurred. We've little time to protect Castle Town," the sage paused, "and there's not much we can do…"

Zelda cautiously reviewed her options. If they waited, everyone would surely be killed. If they fought back, they might have a slight chance of saving their town and people… for now. If they tried to defend the town, well, no barrier keeps hold forever. Zelda's heart sank. This was not looking good for Hyrule, for she remembered how easily the shadow creatures had taken down her previous army. She turned to the sages, who all calmly awaited her decision. "Send messengers to the Zora's Domain and Death Mountain, requesting their aid in battle," Zelda commanded, "And send Commander Daemon to my chamber so that we may discuss battle tactics." With that, the sages were gone in a flash of light. "It's going to take a miracle to save this kingdom," Zelda muttered in dismay, walking over to the window. She softly placed a gloved hand on the sill, and watched the clouds float carelessly overhead. She then heard a knock on the door. "Commander?" she called. Commander Daemon then stepped into the room, armor clanking as he walked. He removed his helmet, revealing his shining, light brown hair that was pulled back into a small ponytail on the back of his neck. His deep, forest-green eyes twinkled with curiosity as he set the helmet on a nearby table. His square face was matched by his burly figure and broad shoulders. A few parts of hair that didn't fit into his ponytail swept over to the sides of his face, partially covering his shining eyes, reminding Zelda of Link's hair, in a way. Zelda had always found the commander particularly handsome, especially when he smiled, revealing his pearly, straight teeth, and pressing dimples into his otherwise smooth skin.

"Commander," Zelda addressed him, "it seems we've been confronted by quite an issue," she told him as they both sat by a nearby window. "We're going to war."

***

Zelda stood on the balcony, waiting for the chatter of the crowd to die down. She stepped up onto the podium, clearing her throat. The crowd before her consisted of her large, recently restructured army, consisting of about fifty thousand or so men, all standing at attention in the castle courtyard below her. These men were much unlike her older army, for they were much stronger, better trained, and more willing to fight. Zelda knew that they would do everything in their power to protect this kingdom. Zelda's eyes scanned the crowd, as a few citizens of Castle Town crept into the back of the crowd to hear the speech, trying their best to go unnoticed. Zelda paid no mind to the extra gatherers and cleared her throat one last time.

"Friends, family, followers…" Zelda began, "I come before you today because I have grave new to convey to you. It seems that in a few hours our castle will be under siege. By what? By whom? I cannot say. All we know now is that a dark, powerful force seeks to destroy our beloved Hyrule and all its inhabitants. It manifests itself in darkness, finds nourishment in anguish. Amen, I say to you, we must be strong! We must not show weakness! We will fight to the death if we fight at all. My dear friends, I come to you now not as your leader, but as your equal, I come to you as a citizen of Hyrule. I humbly ask for your support, your cooperation, to aid in the effort to put an end to this dark presence. I now call upon the great goddesses of Hyrule, creators of our world, wielders of light and power, to grant us the benevolence, the strength to banish this foul evil that has evaded its rightful keep. O strong and awesome Din, lend us your power! O wise and humble Nayru, lend us your wisdom! O brave and selfless Farore, lend us your courage! And now I turn to you, my brave and courageous men, my selfless and honorable knights in your sacred Hylian armor. Join me in this epic quest to destroy these foul creatures, and put an end to this dark magic once and for all!" Zelda unsheathed her sword and raised it high in the air. As soon as she did so, the army of men below all unsheathed their swords and did the same, roaring and whooping, proclaiming their unshakable loyalty to their kingdom and their leader. Zelda looked down upon her army with genuine pride, though she knew this battle would be a perilous one. She stepped down from the podium, returning her sword to its sheath. Commander Daemon stood behind Zelda.

"You sure know how to rile up a man's fighting spirit," he remarked.

"I suppose so," Zelda mused.

They walked out into the courtyard to line up the men in preparation for the battle outside of the Castle Town walls, to ensure citizen safety. The army immediately dispersed, heading straight for their positions on the exterior of the town. Zelda and Daemon strode together down East Road to take their formal battle positions behind the rest of the army.

As soon as they reached the gate, they were accompanied by Darbus, the brawny Goron patriarch. "I have brought all of my finest, strongest, most skilled warriors," he said in a gruff, firm voice.

"I thank you graciously for your ceaseless loyalty," Zelda replied, bowing.

She immediately summoned her messenger. "Have we heard from Prince Ralis yet?"

"The prince is unsure," replied the messenger uneasily, "He requests some time to consider his options."

"Hmph," Zelda muttered, crossing her arms. _His mother never would've hesitated so, _she thought, feeling rather frustrated. Then again, taking the throne at that young of an age after his mother's death was quite the job, Zelda had to admit. She forbade herself from getting angry at a time like this, for she needed all the sanity she could get. She stepped up onto the small stone pillar positioned behind the combat line-up, elevating herself slightly above the rest of the army. Daemon took the pillar beside her, standing erect, prepared.

"Your Highness?" he asked quietly.

"Yes?"

"Pardon my asking, but will the Hero of Twilight be fighting alongside us today?"

Zelda's sorrowful, burdened eyes scanned the clear horizon. "I'm sure if he turns up, he will aid us in battle," she replied. Daemon nodded. Zelda narrowed her eyes as she gradually began to see black figures gathering on the horizon.

"They're here," Daemon whispered gravely, stiffening.

Zelda held her breath, bracing herself for the grueling battle ahead, "So it begins."

**A/N: Big shiny review button **_**begging **_**to be pressed! By the way, please check out my profile for a character overview of the members of the twili council that I don't think I'll get a good chance to describe in my story. Thanks! :)**


	10. Chapter 10

"I want to take you somewhere," Midna's bouncy, singsong voice rang through the chamber.

"Where?" Link asked, rubbing his sleepy eyes. He'd spent the night at the palace, much against Malore's wishes.

"It's a surprise," she grinned, standing in the doorway, already fully dressed.

"You're sure you're feeling well enough to go anywhere?" Link protested.

"I'm fine," the queen gave a subtle eye roll, "Now come on, wolf boy, let's go."

Link stood up and stretched, following her down the corridors and staircases of the immense palace. Near the exit, they were met my a rather irritated Malore. He glared at Link.

"And just where exactly would you two be headed this fine morning?"

Midna narrowed her eyes. "We were planning on taking a stroll." She crossed her arms.

"Oh really?" Malore replied, "That doesn't answer my question."

"It doesn't concern you," Midna replied dryly. There was a long pause.

"Don't be gone long," Malore hissed, marching off angrily down the hallway.

"I get the feeling he doesn't like me all that much," Link spoke as they left the palace, their footsteps pattering on the large stone walkway.

"I wonder what would make you think that?" Midna replied sarcastically.

They followed the main dirt road through the town surrounding the palace. It reminded Link of Castle Town in a way, however it was smaller, with a more foreign atmosphere about it. Link dodged curious and suspicious stares from the twili citizens of the small town. He increased his pace, nervously glancing around, meeting a few of the inquisitive stares that bore down on him. He could only imagine what these people were thinking; the questions running through their minds, as they saw Link, a light-dweller, walking side-by-side with their queen. He tried his absolute hardest to ignore all the pairs of eyes that stopped to watch him, this curious creature, walking down the streets of their town. Of course, there were a few of them that had seen Link once before, when he had first come to the twilight and liberated the palace from Zant's evil grasp. These select few that recalled this event acknowledged Link as their divine savior as he walked their streets, bowing their heads out of respect as he passed. The majority of these twili, however, had never before seen any of Link's kind, and were obviously fascinated by his pale skin and golden hair. Out of the corner of his eye, Link saw Midna walking with a confident strut, her fiery amber eyes fixated straight ahead, a casual composure about her. A few times, she would smile kindly at her people, and then continue her smooth stride down the winding dirt road.

_Do the wary stares not bother her? Does the aura of suspicion not phase her? _Link wondered, following her lead down the curving dirt path. Eventually, they reached a large wooden gate, marking the end of the road, and the border between the small town and the rest of the twilight realm, most of which was either uninhabited, or occupied by a very small population of twili. Midna unhooked the latch, pulling the handle. The gate swung open to reveal yet another dirt path between two cliff sides, both several feet taller than both Midna and Link. The cliff sides bordering the path were much like walls, creating the faint illusion that they were walking down a long hallway, rather than a simple dirt path… despite the fact that the black clouds of twilight floated wistfully overhead against the creamy orange sky.

"we're almost there," Midna said, a tender smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

Link hadn't the slightest idea where they could possibly be going, and curiosity began to ebb away at his patience, for they had been walking for quite some time now.

After a short while longer, Midna stopped and held her arm out, blocking Link's path. "Close your eyes, I'll lead you from here," she grinned, her shining eyes locked onto his. A puzzled look came across Link's face. "It's a surprise," she explained.

Link wove his fingers through hers and shut his eyes tight, letting Midna lead him. As they began to walk, Link could feel the light crunch of grass beneath his boots. He felt a warm breeze stroke his face, and heard the hazy babbling of water somewhere a bit far off. They heard the soft, abstract songs of birds, and the tender flutter of wings close by. Link's senses became acute as he fought the urge to open his eyes. Just then, Midna tugged on his hand lightly. Link stopped.

"You can open your eyes now," Midna spoke after a few moments of hesitation.

Link was awestruck by the sight before him. Here they stood, in the middle of a massive field full of lush grass, trees, and flowers. Although Link had never before seen this place, it seemed somewhat familiar to him. "It's just like-"

"Hyrule," Midna finished, her eyes scanning the vast horizon.

"Yes," Link mused. Everything about this place was the same, yet different. All of the vegetation, including the grass, was colored in various shades of purple, blue, and even some orange here and there. It was as if Link were looking at Hyrule in an odd variation of black and white. Yet what really rendered him speechless was the fact that this particular area of twilight was lighter than the rest of the realm; it almost glowed. This whimsical place pertained so many characteristics of Hyrule, yet it still seemed so surreal.

"The goddesses left this place, what is now called the Valley of Light, here for our ancestors, as a reminder of what they had lost in choosing to pursue a life of unspeakable crime."

Despite the sad tale of which she spoke, Link did not detect the slightest hint of bitterness in Midna's tone of voice. Link continued to gaze out over the picturesque field before him, mystified.

"My mother and father would come here often, and I could never understand why," Midna continued, "I would always wonder how they could bear this reminder of what they had lost; how they could return here time and time again, and not feel bitter about the brutal punishment of their ancestors." She paused.

"Midna," Link interjected, "Zant-he spoke of how he used to serve the royal family. What happened to your family?"

Midna hesitated. "Well," she began, "I lived in a family of five. I was the youngest among two brothers, however I didn't grow up with them. You see, my oldest brother disappeared when I was about four years of age. There was a gruesome battle on the outskirts of town. My brother was about sixteen at the time, and was serving in combat. When the battle had ended, and our warriors all returned to their homes, he never showed. He was not accounted for among the soldiers who'd fallen, nor was he believed to have been taken prisoner. Still, no one knows of his whereabouts." Midna gave a distant sigh. "My parents were grief ridden for years afterwards, and even when they had moved on, they _rarely _spoke of him… ever. They wouldn't even speak his name aloud. Due to an injury I took to the head during an enemy raid on the palace at the time of the war, I've no recollection of the tragic event whatsoever. I don't even know my brother's name anymore. Oh, how I wish I could remember him… Mother always sounded so proud when she would tell me of his heroic stature." Midna let out another heavy sigh, gazing sadly upon the clouds floating overhead.

"What about your other brother?" Link asked.

Midna chuckled. "Erias," she replied, a jaunty grin curling the corners of her lips, "Him I _do _remember." She almost laughed now, a tinge of humor glinting in here eyes. "I did grow up with him, to an extent… He had always known he'd never take the throne, despite the fact that he was the oldest male in the family after the disappearance of my other brother. See, in proper twili tradition, it is mandatory that the leader of the twili must alternate genders. Therefore, I would've taken the throne after my father's rule, and by the end of my reign, Erias would be much too old to rule, and the next elder male would be selected from either of our children to lead. Erias had it in his head that he was born to lead, and the fact that he would never have the opportunity often upset him. This was often the basis of many of our childhood arguments."

"Wouldn't it upset your oldest brother as well, though?" Link asked.

"You'd think so. But, from what my mother would always tell me after he passed, he was already more than satisfied with his position as General of our army. According to my mother, he felt that leading an army was a better option than ruling an entire kingdom. On the other hand, the position as queen seemed very desirable to me. It was something I had dreamt of since I was a little girl. However, when I was about the seventeen years of age, and Zant began his reign of terror upon our kingdom with his newly acquired dark power, ruling was a luxury I never thought I'd get the chance to experience. His army of shadow beasts tore through our palace like wildfire, murdering anyone and everyone who stood in their way. He then proceeded to slaughter my family before me, one by one." Midna's eyes grew cold and dark as she grimaced at the awful memory. "He then struck upon me the shameful curse that transformed me into that hideous imp you met so many moons ago at Hyrule Castle."

Link stared at her in awe, unable to believe that she was still able to lead her people when she had been through so much.

"Midna, why did Zant choose to curse you? Why did he leave you… alive?"

Midna replied, "Zant had always been power hungry, and he envied my soon-to-be position as queen. All I know is that he resented me so much that he figured casting that vile curse upon me was a fate worse than death itself, a fate I deserved for being so 'ungrateful' and 'unworthy' of being queen."

Midna and Link were both sitting by this point, as Link held her hand, scooting slightly closer, so that their bodies touched ever so slightly. Midna let out a sigh.

"Link-" she paused, "you can't stay here… Colin, Ilia… they need you back at home."

"Wherever you are is where my home is," Link replied.

"And what if your loved ones were in danger? What if they were harmed because you weren't there to protect them?"

Link reconsidered for a moment, for he was running out of things to say.

Midna continued, "You know you can't stay here forever… you know they need you." Midna hoped with all her might that Link would be stubborn enough to stay. She then reprimanded herself silently for such selfish thoughts, for even _she _knew that Link belonged in the world of light.

"We defeated Ganon," Link replied, after a bit of thought, "what else could possibly bring more danger to Hyrule?"

"This curious world we live in still has yet to surprise us," Midna replied.

Link took into consideration Midna's words, for deep inside, he knew she was right… he just didn't want to admit it to himself. "But I can't leave this realm and put _your _life at risk, you know I won't do that."

Midna gave yet another sigh. "And you know I won't leave my people again. I _can't_. I was lucky they even accepted me as their new leader, you know."

Link thought carefully about this, for he knew that this was also true. After some thought, he replied, "I will stay here, with you, until we defeat Taro. I know he will attack again, there is no question. Only this time," Link looked Midna in the eyes, courage and determination burning bright in his own, "this time, I'll be ready."

**A/N: So again, I apologize for the numerous typos and mistakes in the previous chapters. Mistakes are rather laborious to go back and fix, so from this point on, I'll try my absolute hardest to avoid mistakes. Its been a while since I last wrote, and I apologize for that as well**_**. **_**And **_**please please please **_**review! Feedback is what I live for (;**


	11. Chapter 11

Zelda crumpled the piece of paper in her fist, shutting her eyes tightly and rubbing her temples with her fingertips. She cast the ball of bunched up paper to the floor, and knew that she had to find commander Daemon and fix this. She rushed down the hallway towards the west balcony, for she knew he always went there whenever he was troubled, or had something weighing on his mind. With the kingdom in the condition it was now, she knew that if Daemon resigned, there would be virtually no hope for Hyrule. She knew this madness had to be stopped before it was too late. As she reached the end of the corridor, she could see Daemon's figure through the glass door as he leaned against the balcony railing, staring out over the vast expanse of hills and valleys all the way to the Snowpeak Mountains. She carefully opened the door and stepped out into the crisp autumn air. She stood beside Daemon, leaning against the railing next to him. He did not flinch; his eyes stared solemnly ahead. The princess drew in a deep breath, "You know this kingdom needs you."

Daemon did not speak. Both his facial expression and figure were so rigid and still, that from a distance, one might mistake him as a statue.

"You _know _these people need you. My safety is not our most immediate priority right now," Zelda prodded.

"Maybe not to you," Daemon replied after a long pause.

For some odd and unexplained reason, Daemon's words struck Zelda in a way she did not expect. She mulled them over in her mind several times, and chose her response carefully.

"Commander, the twilight messengers _will _be back. You and I both know this is not over. They merely retreated because of the sunlight. Darkness is the source of their strength. These creatures are both intelligent, and tactical. Because they thrive in darkness, they will wait until the next lunar eclipse to return, when the world of light is at its darkest. And although the barricade we've constructed around the town is strong, it won't hold forever. We can't simply sit and defend… We must fight. And without you, Commander, our chances of defeating the twilight messengers only get slimmer."

Daemon looked up, meeting Zelda's pleading eyes.

"And what if something were to happen to you? What if you were to be killed? Hyrule could never possibly recover from such a loss as that. And whose responsibility are you to protect at all costs? Mine," Daemon's voice was stern and grim.

"That's what you're afraid of? Commander, this is war. The loss of lives is something to be expected. My being princess does not put the value of my life above anyone else's. I will do everything in my power to protect this kingdom, and that includes fighting on the battlefield alongside my loyal soldiers. Without you, who will I have to fight alongside? Commander, this kingdom needs you, and you can't deny that. Why you insist on resigning right before what could quite possibly be one of the most grueling wars Hyrule has ever seen is still beyond me," Zelda tried her absolute hardest to keep her voice calm and steady.

"Well that's the very reason," Daemon explained, "if something happened to you during this battle I would feel responsible. And that's a burden I can't possibly begin to bear."

"I hate to point this out, Commander, but I'm going to be fighting in this battle no matter what the circumstances may be. Without you to fight by my side, my life is only increasingly put at risk."

"Then don't fight! I'm begging you, dear Princess, do not put your life at risk like this! There are more than enough men out there to fight for this kingdom," Daemon paused a moment to think, "…I'll offer you a compromise…" he spoke slowly, "If you don't fight in this war, if you remain safely hidden in the castle during the fighting, then I will fight."

"You're being absolutely ridiculous! What kind of a leader would I be if I didn't fight alongside my men? It has always been Hylian tradition for the leader of the kingdom to assist in the war effort not only in planning, but on the battlefield as well. You know that perfectly well. My men need my support, and one more person fighting for this kingdom can only help," Zelda reasoned. "And Daemon, you know it isn't just this kingdom that needs you. _I _need you."

"You need me? What about your Hero of Twilight? Where is he when you need him?"

"Commander!" Zelda was startled by Daemon's sudden hostility. "If I knew of Link's whereabouts, believe me, I'd find him. But even if he were here, that wouldn't mean that I wouldn't need you as well. You are our army's most revered General, incomparable to anyone else. And quite frankly, your rude behavior is beginning to irk me." She crossed her arms, trying as best she could to avoid saying something she'd later regret.

"I'm simply concerned for your safety, Princess," Daemon had composed himself enough to keep a steady voice.

"I understand that, but you need to keep in mind that I have a kingdom to protect. That's just a naturally risky responsibility," Zelda looked Daemon in the eyes, making sure he held her stare, "Commander Daemon, I am _begging _you, do not resign. Not only does this kingdom need you… _I _need you."

* * *

"We need his help," Midna insisted.

"We need no one's help. We were doing just fine. _Without _him," Malore pressed irritably.

"No, obviously we weren't. Might I remind you that had it not been for him, we'd likely be dead," Midna narrowed her glare, refusing to lose the argument.

"He doesn't _belong_ here, your Highness. He's not one of us, and he never will be."

Malore's thoughtless words cut Midna like a blade. She retaliated furiously, "Don't you _dare_ tell me who belongs in _my_kingdom! I will not be spoken to like a child! He came here to help, and I'll not have him believing that he is a burden in any way."

Malore hesitated, and decided to take a different approach. "Your Highness, the boy has needs in his world, too. He has _family_ in _his_ world, too. You can't deny him that. You can't deprive him of his own familial responsibilities. Surely you, of all people, should know that."

Midna pondered this for a few seconds, for as much as she hated to admit it, Malore was right. Link had to return home at some point. Surely they'd noticed that he'd been gone. Surely they were worried. She was immediately flooded with guilt as she realized she was keeping Link from everything he'd grown to love.

At that moment, Link was headed down the corridor, on his way to find Midna for dinner.

"You're right," Midna spoke finally.

Link stopped at the corner of the dimly lit hallway. Midna's grim voice concerned him, and he stopped to listen.

"He has to go back. He can't live here. As soon as Taro is taken care of, he'll go back. The Twilight Realm is no place for a light dweller. He doesn't.." Midna swallowed. "He doesn't belong here."

Link drew in a sharp breath.

_How could she say that? _He thought, _how could she say that after everything I've been through? After everything we've been through?_ Angry and hurt, Link left the way he'd come.

"_He doesn't belong," _The words repeated over and over again in Link's mind. They hung over his head like a dark cloud, a reminder that he was an outcast; that he _didn't belong_.

**A/N: I'm SO sorry I haven't uploaded in so long. I've been so busy. But I worked hard on this chapter and I hope you all enjoy!**


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